"We actually have records going back about twenty years," prominent local allergist Dr. Paul Ratner said. "If you look at the total pollen produced already, then this is the second worst year."

For those with long memories, the winter of 1996 was the worst ever for pollen in the san Antonio area. Dr. Ratner said in that dreadful winter, pollen levels were actually twice what they are today.

"The record is about double, for some extraordinary reason," he said. "I don't know what happened, but that record appears to be untouchable."

Dr. Ratner says there are 'peaks and valleys' in the current mountain cedar season, and, while we may be in a valley due to the sub freezing weather, this is far from the end of the misery pollen sufferers will face.